Getaway Dreams: Mafia Island of Tanzania

Picture your perfect beach-side getaway: serene, remote, beautiful. Full of white sands to lounge on and clear waters with thriving marine life to explore. Friendly people and fresh food.

Brendan Spiegel must have been reading my diary when he wrote about his latest travel experience on gorgeous Mafia Island off the coast of Tanzania ("Off Tanzania, Serene Mafia Island").

Mr. Spiegal describes how ...

"over the past decade, [Mafia Island] has built a small but passionate following among travelers drawn by its simple charms and serene atmosphere. Serene, that is, on land; underwater, a protected marine preserve offers some of the most magnificent diving and snorkeling in the region, perhaps the world."

He also describes some of the progressive, green practices done on the island to help make tourism more sustainable; according to Manzie Omar Mangochie, the district commissioner of Mafia, "our goal here is to find a balance between welcoming visitors and protecting what we already have."

(Image: "Ras Mbisi Lodge, an eco-resort on a remote stretch of the island." Brendan Spiegel for The New York Times)